Distill Meaning in English
word
Definition
To heat a liquid so that it turns into vapor and then cool it to get a purified liquid; also used metaphorically to mean to extract the most important part of something.
Usage & Nuances
Formal and scientific in direct use (chemistry, alcohol production); metaphorically means summarizing or refining ideas ('distill the main points'). Often confused with 'extract'. Common collocations: 'distill water', 'distill knowledge', 'distill essence'.
Example Sentences
Scientists distill water to remove impurities.
basic
You can distill alcohol using this machine.
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They distill perfume from flowers.
basic
Can you distill the main ideas from this report?
natural
His style is simple—he knows how to distill complex thoughts.
natural
After hours of work, she managed to distill her experiences into a short story.
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